Chapters 1-2: Studying Religion I liked the authors version of the quote by George Bernard Shaw, "We never doubt that we know what it is-until, of course, we start thinking about it" (page 4). On page 8 Livingston proposed his "working definition of religion" as such, "Religion is that system of activities and beliefs directed toward and in response to that which is perceived to be of sacred and transforming power." In my own words I would say it is doing things and believing in something you believe to hold special power so that you can obtain a desired result. This could be living a certain way to stay in a deities good graces or performing a specific act to reach a higher level of consciousness. The approached that interested me is sociology. The sociological approach "focuses its attention on social behavior and the way in which religion interacts with other dimensions of our social experience" (page 22). This can help us understand how...
Documenting my journey to a Bachelors of Art in Religious Studies.